Guided Reading Lesson

7th Grade Team Social Studies

Establishing the New Government
"Shaping A New Government"
Guess The Covered Word

Soon after the ratification of the constitution, elections were held 
for the members of the government. Then as the Constitution provided, 
electors chosen by the states voted for two people. The person with the 
most votes became President. The person with the next largest number 
became Vice President.

Guess the Covered Word is a Working with words block activity. Its 
purpose is to help children practice the important strategy of 
cross-checking meaning with letter-sound information. Here is the 
procedure:

The teacher writes four or five sentences on the board (or overhead) 
covering a word in each sentence with two sticky notes -- one covering 
the onset, all the consonants prior to the first vowel, and the other 
sticky note covering the rest of the word. Most teachers tear their 
sticky notes so that the children become sensitive to word length also.

The children read each sentence, then make several guesses for the 
covered word. (There are generally many possibilities for a word that 
will fit the context and the teacher points out that there are many 
possibilities when you can't see any of the letters.) The guesses are 
written on the board.

Next, the teacher takes off the first sticky note, which always covers 
all the letters up to the first vowel.

Guesses which don't begin with these letters are erased and new guesses 
which both fit in the meaning and start with the right beginning 
letters are made. When all the guesses which fit both meaning and beginning 
sounds have been written, the whole word is revealed.

Page 148 The Teachers Guide to Four Blocks by Cunningham and Hall. 
(Used with permission) "Electors Select Washington"

Set purpose for reading --
1. How were people elected to lead?
2. What were some of the challenges facing the United States when 
George 
Washington became the first President?

"The Reluctant President"
Set purpose for reading --
1. How did Washington establish the model for the presidency? What did 
he do to establish the model for the presidency?



"The Branches of the Government"

RIVET
Legislative Branch
Bill of Rights
Cabinet


Look at the vocabulary words for the section or chapter and plan a 
Guess the Covered Word or RIVET lesson.


To plan a comprehension lesson, read the questions at the end of the 
chapter or section. Figure out what sections the questions fit into and 
write your own questions. Focus the students learning a question at a 
time, a section at a time.



To introduce vocabulary

Guess the Covered Word
RIVET

During Reading
Set the purpose -- ask one or two questions that focus the children on 
their learning
Everyone Read To... ERT
Partner Reading

After Reading
Discuss set purpose
One student answers
Another student reads where in the text the answer is found